Clear Lake, Berryessa Among Nation’s Best

Clear Lake 7 (1)

Clear Lake was named among the nation’s best fishing and boating destinations for families. (BRIAN LULL)

 

Apologies for not getting this out sooner, but two of Northern California’s two premiere Bay Area getaway lakes, Berryessa and Clear Lake, were among America’s top 100 fishing and boating lakes for families. The website takemefishing.org published the list. Lake Berryessa’s Pleasure Cove Resort, which is just a short drive from Vacaville and about two hours from San Francisco, can play the “We’re Number One” game after finishing atop the poll. Clear Lake State Park ranked 17th in the poll.

Here’s what the criteria was for making the list, per the Take Me Fishing website:

  • Family-friendly location: Within an hour’s drive of a major city or town, so they are easily accessible
  • Have a public body of water that is known for having plenty of common fish species such as bass, crappie, bluegill and trout. Often times these public places are stocked with fish for all.
  • Part of a park that also offers amenities families need like parking, restrooms, playgrounds, picnic areas, or campgrounds
  • Has plenty of places to cast a line, like a fishing pier or has boat ramps to allow you to reach other areas on your boat
  • Is recommended by other anglers! Anglers from around the U.S. cast their vote and thought these parks offered some of the best fishing spots

Good for Clear Lake, a place that I spent many a summer at as a kid but has fallen on some hard economic times over the years.

The Lake County News reported on the results, which had plenty of California flavor to it:

California also notched seven other places on the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) inaugural Take Me Fishing Top 100 list of best places to fish in U.S. state parks and recreation areas, including Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley (7), Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area in Livermore (11), Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas (13), Clear Lake State Park in Kelseyville (17), Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey (28), Echo Park in Los Angeles (33) and Millerton Lake State Recreation Area in Friant (75).

The entire list can be viewed at http://takemefishing.org/community/americas-top-family-fishing-and-boating-spots/ .

“The inclusion of eight California sites in the Take Me Fishing Top 100 list is a welcome recognition of the array of alluring recreational opportunities that exist in our state for anglers and boaters,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham.